Sustainable Solutions

I’ve worked on clean-energy policy for twenty-five years, and I have observed that there are three major problems with a carbon tax: First, it relies too much on the assumption that any small tax will somehow alter markets. In fact, prices don’t get past market barriers that affect about half of U.S. buildings’ energy use, such as those between builders and buyers, and between landlords and tenants, which discourage upgrades to energy-efficient systems in homes. Second, Congress would never authorize a carbon tax anywhere near the size it would have to be to effect real change. Third, climate-policy opponents could use a carbon tax as a club to kill the clean-energy policies that are actually working now, such as E.P.A. air rules and appliance- and fuel-economy standards. Yes, energy prices need to rise, and a carbon tax would be a good idea. But it’s important to keep working on what’s making a difference already.

William Prindle

Charlottesville, Va.

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